Increasing fuel economy and emissions standards have been threatening the V12 engine, and a new report is claiming BMW is preparing to throw in towel.
According to Bimmer Today, BMW is planning to phase out the V12-powered M760Li this fall. However, the report notes this is “for the European market” so it’s unclear the model will continued to be offered elsewhere.
However, BMW is working on an all-new 7-Series and the M760Li is sold in relatively small numbers. The report also notes the company isn’t planning a successor to the model and this suggests the brand is done with the V12.
While nothing is official at this point, the M760Li is a beast as it features a twin-turbo 6.6-liter V12 engine that produces up to 601 hp (448 kW / 609 PS) and 627 lb-ft (849 Nm) of torque. It’s connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission which sends power to an all-wheel drive system. This setup enables the luxury sedan to rocket from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in as little as 3.6 seconds, before hitting a limited top speed of up to 155 mph (250 km/h).
BMW hasn’t confirmed the news, but executives have been hinting the V12 engine was living on borrowed time. Last year, BMW M CEO Markus Flasch said “Beyond what we have, I don’t believe we will see a new twelve-cylinder model in the foreseeable future.”
His sentiments were echoed earlier this year by BMW research and development boss Klaus Froehlich who said “The V12 may not have a future given that we only produce a few thousand units each year and the several thousand euros of added cost it takes to make them compliant with stricter emissions rules.” However, the company has previously suggested the engine would stick around until at least 2023.
If the 7-Series does drop the V12 engine, it won’t disappear entirely as both the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Cullinan use a twin-turbo 6.75-liter V12. That same engine is also expected to see use in the redesigned Ghost.
